Is Shrimp Safe During Pregnancy?

When asking is shrimp safe during pregnancy, women should know that during pregnancy they have to be extra cautious regarding the things they eat, especially when it comes to seafood.

This is because some of the foods contain mercury that is harmful for the baby.

Shrimp is safe

The good news for the women who love seafood is that this kind of seafood is safe to eat during pregnancy. Nonetheless you should monitor the amount of shrimp that you have during those nine months.

According to the FDA it is best for women to limit their shrimp intake to 12 ounces. This means about two servings per week.

If you have more shrimp, the risks of mercury exposure increase.

This is why you should make sure to remember this limit. It also applies to other kinds of seafood that is supposed to be low in mercury, such as crab, haddock, clams, lobster, salmon, oyster, trout and tilapia.

Limitations

As it has been mentioned before regarding eating shrimp during pregnancy there are some limitations. Naturally it is best if you have less than the amount suggested.

Keep in mind that exposure to mercury can be associated with different kinds of birth defects like nervous system problems and brain development problems.

All in all we can say that it is safe to have shrimp during pregnancy as long as you can stick to the limitations. If you are still worried about the matter you should talk to your health care provider or to a professional nutritionist to make sure that you don’t do any harm to the baby if you indulge.

There is no need to completely avoid shrimp while being pregnant, but you shouldn’t give into temptation and have more than your doctor suggests you to. It’s the health of your baby that’s at stake.

Is Shrimp Safe During Pregnancy? was last modified: April 27th, 2012 by admin4